Pro tip: I tried cleaning a throttle body with brake cleaner instead of the proper spray and it left a weird film.

I was in a pinch on a 2015 Civic and grabbed the can of brake cleaner off the shelf, thinking it would cut through the carbon just fine. It cleaned it but left a sticky residue that actually made the idle worse until I went back with the right stuff. Has anyone else had a cleaner backfire like that, and what's your go-to for throttle bodies now?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_bell7422h ago

Yeah, brake cleaner can leave that film because it's not meant to evaporate completely like throttle body cleaner. I only use the proper spray now, it's made to dry clean without any residue. Learned that the hard way too lol.

river18321h ago

Wait, you're telling me people still use brake cleaner for throttle bodies? @diana_bell74 is totally right, that stuff is a mess. I tried it once and the film it left made my idle worse than before I cleaned it. The right spray costs a bit more but it actually works and dries clean. Never going back to the wrong can again.